Recent Streetsblog LA posts about Transportation Policy

New Analysis: 59% of Road Stimulus Went to Repair, 33% to New Capacity

By Elana Schor | May 5, 2010 | No Comments

(Photo: DMI Blog) In the first year of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus law, 59 percent of its $27 billion in transportation formula funds went to projects that preserve existing roads, while 33 percent was used to build new pavement, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Smart Growth America (SGA). The new data, […]

Senate Dems Unveil Auto Safety Legislation

By Elana Schor | May 5, 2010 | No Comments

Democrats are moving quickly on their plan to take a unified approach to auto safety reforms in the aftermath of the Toyota recalls, with Senate Commerce Committee members releasing a new bill today that would quintuple the maximum existing penalties for carmakers who — like Toyota — fail to promptly notify the public of defective […]

Commentary: Keep Drilling, Stop Driving, Use Oil Wisely

By Jason Henderson | May 3, 2010 | No Comments

BP’s Deepwater Horizon. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard. (Editor’s note: This is an Op-Ed from Jason Henderson, Geography Professor at San Francisco State University, who is writing a book on the politics of mobility in cities. He grew up in New Orleans where he spent much time in the coastal wetlands of Louisiana while also observing […]

New Report Takes on ‘Perverse Incentives’ to De-Emphasize Bridge Repair

By Elana Schor | Apr 28, 2010 | No Comments

When Minneapolis’ I-35 bridge collapsed in 2007, lawmakers from both parties vowed to focus on shoring up the nation’s aging infrastructure. But when the public spotlight faded from the issue of infrastructure repair, Congress showed little appetite for setting aside maintenance aid that did not hold the promise of ribbon-cutting ceremonies or campaign donations. The […]

Federal Transit Security Inspections: A Once-Every-Three Years Affair

By Elana Schor | Apr 26, 2010 | No Comments

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is linked most closely in the popular consciousness with aviation security, but its mandate also extends to protecting rail and transit systems — a job that needs to get more attention from the agency, according to senior senators from both parties. Security on New York City’s subway, above, was boosted […]

New Poll: 27% of Public Would Cut Transit Aid, Versus 12% for Highways

By Elana Schor | Apr 9, 2010 | No Comments

(Graphic: Annie Lowrey) The latest weekly edition of the Economist/YouGov poll asks where, if a balanced federal budget were the goal, the American public would rather see cuts to federal spending. As the chart above shows, transit was given the theoretical axe by 27 percent of respondents, tied with agriculture and housing but far behind […]

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